That I can Promise You
by Pokemon67
Summary: Summary: David will never forgive himself for allowing his daughter to grow up feeling alone and abandoned. He knows he can never make it up to her. But he can try, right?


**Me: I wrote this awhile ago and decided to share it. Hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the complex, horrible, heart-wrenching, yet absolutely** ** _amazing_** **show that is Once Upon a Time.**

 _I walked down the long halls of my and Snow's castle in the Enchanted Forest. It was how it used to look- tapestries on the walls and bright carpets on the floor, the colours only slightly dimmed by the moonlight streaming in the windows._

 _I walked into my daughter's nursery. Of course, now that she was older, it was furnished with things appropriate for a six-year old. Her toys were all out of sight in her toy_ chest _at the foot of the bed, her favorites sitting on top. On the window seat, curled up in her old baby blanket, sat Emma._

 _The moonlight wove through her hair, giving her gold locks a silver look. Her baby blanket was around her shoulders like a cape, and she clutched her favorite doll in her hands._

 _She looked up at me startled as I approached her. I could see tear streaks on her face, and_ her _voice was shaky as she spoke. "What are you doing, Daddy?"_

 _I smiled at her as I sat down in front of her. "I couldn't sleep," I lied. "You?"_

 _Emma bit her lip and turned her gaze to the window, clutching her doll tighter. "Emma?" I prompted. "Are you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine," she answered, her voice still shaking._

 _"Emma," I said gently. "You can talk to me. What's wrong?"_

 _Emma turned away from the window and began stroking her doll's hair back. She looked so small and innocent. "I-I had a dream," she said softly._

 _"A bad one?"_

 _She nodded._

 _"You know," I spoke softly. "It helps if you talk about it."_

 _Emma looked up from her doll. In the dim light, I could see her blue eyes carefully considering my suggestion. "I dreamed-" she swallowed hard and looked back at her doll again. "I dreamed that you and mommy gave me away and that I had to grow up with no one to love me and hold me. Every one ignored me because they thought I was different..." She trailed off before adding softly, "I was all alone."_

 _I felt my heart ache. It hurt to see my beautiful baby girl curled up in a ball, clutching her toy, trying to calm herself down after a nightmare. "Emma," I placed my hands over her's. "It's okay. It was just a dream."_

 _Emma raised her head and looked at me straight in the eye. Tears streamed down her face. "But what if it wasn't?" She demanded. "What if one day you decide you don't want me anymore and..."_

 _"Emma!" I said firmly. "Nothing in this world or any other could make me or your mother give you away. Nothing."_

 _Emma looked at me, trying hard to choke back sobs. I carefully pulled my little girl on my lap, stroking her hair as she cried into my shoulder. "It's okay, Emma," I soothed her. "I will always be here. Always."_

 _Emma was quiet for a moment. Then she sat up and looked at me, a sad, but honest expression on her face. "But you did give me away, Daddy," she whispered. "You_ did _."_

 **...**

I snapped my eyes open. "Emma!" I gasped.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Snow said in a startled whisper. It took me a moment to register what had happened. I wasn't in the Enchanted Forest, and I certainly wasn't comforting my six-year old daughter. I was in my bed, at home in Storybroke. Like so many times before, I had been dreaming of Emma as a little girl.

I shook my head. "Nothing, Snow," I assured my wife. "Everything's fine."

Snow looked at me doubtfully. "Why'd you call for Emma?" She wanted to know.

"No reason," I sighed. "I just- had a dream. That's all."

Snow cocked her head to the side, obviously wondering whether or not to question me further. Her eyes studied me the same way Emma's eyes had in my dream. "All right," she said slowly. "If you're sure."

"I am," I agreed.

Snow gave me one last doubtful look before laying back down. I stayed with her until I was sure that she had fallen back asleep. I then quietly went upstairs.

Laying safely in her bed, the moon casting a silver light on her face, was my daughter.

I walked over to her. I carefully pulled her covers over her better and brushed a stray hair out of her face. As I looked at her, my heart ached with the same sensation it always did whenever I looked at Emma.

I had missed my little girl's childhood.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. I wanted to blame someone. I wanted to avenge the twenty-eight years Emma had spent feeling alone and abandoned. But I couldn't. I couldn't blame Regina, even if she had been the one to cast the curse. I couldn't blame Gold, even if he had been the one who had planted the idea for the curse in Regina's head. The only person I could blame was me.

I was her father. I was supposed to protect her. I had failed. I gave my baby girl away.

I sighed to myself as I walked back to the stairs. I turned to look at Emma one more time. _'I don't think I'll ever be able to make it up to you, Emma,'_ I thought sadly. _' But I will try. That I can promise you.'_

 **Me: If you have time, please review! Reviews make me happy! :)**

 **Happy Writing!**


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